John Sammon News

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – The Court of Appeals for the State of California 3rd District on June 27 denied the appeal of a woman who sued the ski run where she was severely injured in a snowboarding accident.

SAN FRANCISCO – Three companies on the hook for a potential billion dollar judgment have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a public nuisance case filed by 10 counties and cities in California mandating they clean up lead-based paint in dwellings.

SACRAMENTO – Lawmakers are seeking to reform the state’s Private Attorney General Act (PAGA), adopted by the California Legislature in 2004, because they contend that even with the best original intentions, the law hasn’t worked out as planned.

SACRAMENTO – Staffers for California Assemblyman Kevin Kiley said his Assembly Bill (AB) 1056, designed to protect funds for the treatment of asbestos exposure, has been withdrawn but a new bill could be crafted later this year.

The California Supreme Court on Jan. 18 sought to end uncertainty over the state’s Right to Repair Act in deciding that a party who encounters defective home construction can file suit and no longer has to wait until a building defect has caused property damage or injury.

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Nov. 11 affirmed a decision of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California compelling the plaintiffs to seek arbitration in a class action alleging that broadband carrier AT&T falsely advertised mobile services as “unlimited,” when, in fact, they weren't.

SACRAMENTO - A collection of agricultural grower associations is asking a federal court for punitive relief in a complaint against the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and the state Attorney General’s Office, over the labeling of a chemical called “glyphosate” as cancer causing.

SACRAMENTO - A phenomenon called “copyright troll,” a person who misleads customers into using copyrighted photos, films or other media saying that their use is free, only to demand settlement money and threaten a lawsuit is becoming more common in California, said an attorney who specializes in such cases.

SACRAMENTO – Senate Bill 33, which would require arbitration of a dispute between a bank and a plaintiff even if a complaint was thought to be without substantive merit, has drawn the ire of state capital lawmakers who predict it would be a job killer.

SACRAMENTO – The president of the Civil Justice System of California (CJAC) said he intends to craft a new bill to submit to the California State Legislature that would require greater transparency, public notice, from cities and counties that hire outside private attorneys to go after statute violators based on a “contingency fee,” in other words, only paid upon the successful outcome of a case.

Retired union members who lost a suit against the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) claiming they were denied equity after the bankruptcy of American Airlines and American Eagle Airlines Inc. have asked the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for a rehearing.

Attorneys recently said that Google is likely to pay $22.5 million in restitution to advertisers who allegedly didn’t get their money’s worth when the internet giant placed their advertisements on “error pages” and “inactive” websites.

It appears a healthier economy, high living expenses in California and a trend away from “mom and pop” court reporting firms of the past in favor of larger companies have led to a shortage of court reporters in the Golden State.